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Friday, July 5, 2013

The Embroidered Armour ~ Roberto Peregalli

The Embroidered Armour, explores ancient Greek thought through it’s mysteries, mythology and legends demonstrating how these heralded a revolution in thinking between the time of Homer (800 BC -701 BC) and that of Plato 427 BC - 347 BC) which gave birth to the Western cultural tradition. In the introduction Peregalli relates that for the Greeks “seeing is knowing” stating that for this reason they are known as “the people of the eye”. In around a hundred and sixty pages he presents his argument concerning the modernity of “ancient” Greek wisdom, following the timeline set between the two poles of Homer and Plato we travel through the world of the gods and onto the works of Pindar, Heraclitus, Hippocrates, Aeschylus, and Aristotle. Combining these with thoughts from the likes of Nietzsche,Auerbach, Rilke, Heidegger & Chantraine , he shows the modernity inherent in “ancient” Greek Thought.

Quote

The words “true” (a-lethes) and “invisible” (a-delon) are at the same time mirror images and opposites. But their connection is evident: the negation of hiddenness certifies its existence. If that which is visible is true, it is also true that truth has its origin in that which cannot be seen. In the Greek world it is thus the ambiguous essence of truth which from the outset connects the visible and the invisible.

Born in Milan in 1961, Roberto Peregallistudied Philosophy and now runs his own architectural firm. He also designs sets for opera and has contributed articles on cinema to Condé Nast publications. The Embroidered Armour is his first book.

Born in County Tyrone in 1959, Shaun Whiteside has translated many books from French, German, Italian and Dutch, including works by Freud and Nietzsche, Michèle Desbordes, Amélie Nothomb and Giorgio Pressburger. His translation of Magdalene the Sinner by Lilian Faschinger won the Schlegel-Tieck Prize in 1997.

Hi James, Hi Brian. The two individuals I thought would really get this book were you two. So I'm not surprised by both of your responses, I don't know if you know of each other's blogs, but if you don't may I have the honour of introducing them.

http://frugalchariot.blogspot.co.uk

http://briansbabblingbooks.blogspot.co.uk

It is great to find people with similar tastes, so that one can share knowledge/ideas etc & can discuss & debate issues with the aim of gaining new perspectives, firing off new sets of neurons. Thanks to both of you for such discussions.